Ion Trewin 1943–2015
MICHAEL Palin, Julian Fellowes and Ann Widdecombe celebrated the life of their publisher Ion Trewin at St Martin-in-theFields. Trewin, a former literary editor of the Times, went on to serve as editor-inchief at Weidenfeld & Nicolson and as administrator of the Man Booker Prize. There were also recorded or written contributions from Dame Judi Dench, Ronald Harwood and Thomas Kenneally.
Palin told how Trewin used to come from Norfolk to north London to discuss the publication of his diaries, carrying his precious pages in a sagging M&S plastic bag. ‘He’d be wearing a white suit, so crumpled by contact with an assortment of bus and train seats that I once described him in my diary as resembling “a rather impressive scarecrow, or a German emperor on the run”.
‘After a few hours on the text we would confront the business of lunch. Not much needed, we’d both agree. Just something simple. I’d begin by laying out some smoked salmon and making a small salad, for which Ion was most appreciative. He was even more appreciative if I happened to find something else in the fridge.
‘ “We’ve got a bit of chicken liver paté over from last night”. “Oh, that sounds good”. “And a bit of pork pie my son brought back from a cycling holiday?” “Oh, well, if it’s a pork pie, why not?” “Cold sausage?” “Oh, my favourite”.’
Then the question of what should accompany their frugal meal. ‘This was usually settled by two words: “Pouilly Fumé?”
‘ “Well, if you’re having one”.’ Were there to be a book about our relationship its title would surely have to be If You’re Having One.’
Palin said Trewin believed the pleasures of the table enhanced working life but it didn’t affect his concentration and he was a hard taskmaster. Their last meal was at the Plum and Spilt Milk restaurant at King’s Cross. ‘At that meal, two most unusual things happened. Ion turned down a glass of wine, and when he arrived, and before anything was said, he gave me a hug – or maybe I gave him a hug. Not much, but just enough to acknowledge that things were different.’
Lord Fellowes told how Trewin had inspired Downton Abbey. He had just written Gosford Park when, out of the blue, he received a letter from Trewin asking him to write a novel. ‘I told him I had previously written a novel that was perfectly terrible,’ said Lord Fellowes. ‘My agent had told me to put it in the dustbin. Ion said we should meet at the Garrick and there I handed him my plate of rotten fish. I said the book might lose Weidenfeld a lot of money but he said that’s Weidenfeld’s problem. He called the book Snobs and it was a bestseller.
‘Then he said it’s time for another book. It was called Past Imperfect. Later he asked me for my thoughts on a further project. I spoke to him for a long time with a tape recorder. They were completely random, unstructured thoughts, but he got to work on it, and when he sent it back it was very good. This was the basis for Downton Abbey.
‘Later he told me about his illness and I prepared for our last meeting. I wanted to say all sorts of things which, as Englishmen, we never say. But of course I never said them so I’m glad to have a chance today. If things have gone well for me, it’s down to Ion. I admired him. I loved him. I really won’t forget him.’
Ann Widdecombe said Trewin came up with the title of her memoir Strictly Ann and now she would be seriously stuck for her next one.
The hymns were ‘For All the Saints’ and ‘Jerusalem’. The choir sang ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’ and ‘I was Glad’ by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
At the end, the congregation were invited to join in the singing of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ from Monty Python’s Life of Brian.